EASLEY – During the Easley Rotary Club meeting on Tuesday, rising ninth grader Sarah Boyce Gladden of Abbeville spoke of her upcoming trip to Taipei, Taiwan, as part of the Rotary Exchange Program.

Gladden will stay in Taiwan for one full year, living with three different families during that time. At age 15, she is the youngest outbound student in the state. Gladden attends Dixie High School but has done internships for Erskine College and the Governor’s School. She hopes to attend the Governor’s School when she returns from Taiwan.

The Rotary Exchange Program allows teens from all over the world to travel internationally and experience schooling in a foreign country.

During the Rotary Club meeting, Gladden showed a slideshow of several friends she has made at the Rotary conference who are from different parts of the world. She showed a picture of a boy named Carlos from Brazil, who was assigned to the United States and gained 50 pounds during his stay here.

Gladden will be learning the Mandarin language. She will have two classes a week in school but said she’ll learn most of the language while in the culture.

“Right now, all I know is ‘Where is the bathroom?’ and that’s about it,” said Gladden. “However, that question is very important to know.”

Taipei, Taiwan is a very tropical climate, and Gladden said her host family does not have air conditioning. The first family she will stay with also has a daughter in the Rotary Exchange Program who left Monday for Denver, Colo. Her name is Joyce.

Gladden will attend Taipei Municipal LiShan High School ,which is one of the top schools in its area. It is a math and science school with around 500 students. Gladden said that there are two teachers for every 12 students at the school.

Gladden said she’s looking forward to the new foods she will get to try, as well as being taller than most of the population.

Gladden will take along the Easley Rotary Club banner with her and hopes she represents her country well in Taiwan. She also said she will do her best to follow the five D’s. While in Taiwan, Gladden should not drive, do drugs, drink, download or date.

Gladden promised the Easley Rotary Club that she would bring pictures back to show them after her trip was finalized next year.

Gladden leaves for Taipei, Taiwan on Aug. 20 for a stay of one year.